I was looking forward to my wee adventure to Perth as I waited on Dundee’s Whitehall Street in the Autumn sunshine.
The thought of seeing the Carse of Gowrie scenery and peaceful villages from the window of the 39 bus was appealing.
I’m often guilty of taking my car, putting unnecessary fumes into the atmosphere and not considering public transport options.
By taking the bus instead I was going to be producing at least 8kg less COâ‚‚ emissions.
But the Stagecoach bus service has not been seen so positively by some of the passengers since it launched in May.
Residents in places like Errol have previously told The Courier about how cancellations and delays have caused issues.
And some have called for Stagecoach to reinstate its axed 16 and X7 services.
Was the 39 bus to Perth running on time?
Two other passengers gaze at the live information board in the bus shelter for updates on the 9.28am bus that runs from Arbroath to Perth.
The Stagecoach app is also helpfully telling me that the bus is running four minutes late, which is not disastrous.
We board the 39 service at 9.32am and pay £8.50 for a North Perthshire and the Carse DayRider.
The bus driver explains that he can’t give me a return and that this is the alternative.
It seems quite pricey for a journey which is around 21 miles in a car.
According to the Stagecoach website, this quirk applies for tickets from Invergowrie, Dundee and Inchture to Perth.
A Perth return from Errol only costs £5.70.
I had hoped to enjoy the views upon taking my seat, but the windows are very muddy and I can see very little.
I wanted to undertake the journey to highlight some of the issues raised by Carse of Gowrie residents in recent months.
But have boarded in Dundee to see the challenges facing the service before it reaches them.
It takes us 19 minutes to reach Ninewells Hospital, with traffic and several stops for students on the Nethergate.
We are running five minutes late when we cross Riverside Avenue into nearby Invergowrie.
But the time gods then put an obstacle in our way in the form of a dustbin lorry doing its rounds.
A blast down the A90 makes the time up though and the driver cuts a 7-minute deficit down to five again.
Exiting the dual carriageway we head south along country lanes after stops in Longforgan and Inchture.
It’s quite a common occurrence for the bus to rattle very loudly and I feel the sound in my bones as we drive across a level crossing near Grange.
Stagecoach’s 39 service only serves Errol every two hours
I’m surprised to see 10 passengers board at three different stops when we reach Errol.
It also takes us 10 minutes to clear the village end to end – which is as scheduled.
Parked cars and a narrow high street are not a good mix.
But it’s encouraging to see so many people still using buses in rural areas.
The strength of feeling about the quality of service is easy to understand, with it’s average frequency cut from one every hour to one every two hours when the 39 was introduced.
A quick look at the timetable reveals that the village was last served at 7.56am.
But in March the villagers were worried they might lose their commercial bus service altogether.
Next up is St Madoes, which has benefited from the inter-city Ember bus services that started operating in October 2020.
The all-electric coaches have comfy seats, USB ports and – from my experience – clean windows.
Ember also has stops on the A90 near Inchture and Longforgan.
This must be providing some competition to Stagecoach when it comes to serving these villages.
Most passengers opt for the much quicker Ember, FlixBus, and Scottish Citylink services to go from Dundee to Perth.
But the 39 service is here to serve the villages between and not the two cities.
Soon we are heading off along the dual carriageway again and into Perth.
It is a lot quicker to get into the Fair City than out of Dundee and I step off on Canal Street at 10.44am.
This is only six minutes later than timetabled.
And it likely reached its final destination – Perth Royal Infirmary (PRI) – without too much delay.
I can tell this because the same bus and driver arrive at South Street to take me back to Dundee on the 11.03am service, which is on time.
What can Stagecoach do to build trust in the 39 service?
The journey back along Tayside is five minutes shorter, with excursions to Glendoick and Glencarse replacing Errol.
This gives me time to contemplate about changing my ways.
Taking the bus is better for the environment, more relaxing and safer than opting for the car.
But I have the privilege of choosing to take the bus.
And I wasn’t particularly inconvenienced on my travels, arriving back in Dundee City Centre at 12.20pm – as scheduled.
Some residents of St Madoes, Errol, Inchture and Longforgan are totally reliant on public transport.
Cancellations and delays can mean missed Ninewells and PRI appointments.
In August, one mother even told The Courier about how her daughter had resigned from her job in Perth because her constant lateness caused by taking the bus.
Stagecoach has previously blamed roadworks on the A90 and between Arbroath and Dundee for the delays, with works currently causing issues near St Madoes.
The operator started providing a spare bus at Perth and said it had plans to give drivers more time to complete the route.
It said this would mean the timetable more accurately reflects the running of the service.
Locals might become more trusting of the 39 when they start experiencing more journeys like mine.
A Stagecoach spokesperson said: “Since the beginning of September we’ve operated over 99% of the mileage across the 39 service and it’s variations.
“This is against a backdrop of significant disruption, including the lane closures on the A90 approaching St Madoes, due to bridge repair works, as well as the emergency closure of Glasgow Road in Perth for a week from October 29.
“We’re continuing to provide additional drivers and vehicles to minimise the delays to our customers.”
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